ARTsolar vs QN-SOLAR - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Both brands are closely matched on catalog size, efficiency and bifacial share - the choice comes down to local availability, price and specific model features.
Both catalogues are read from the manufacturers' own datasheets. A brand is not scored against the market here, only against the other brand on this page.
The two companies
QN-SOLAR (Qn-SOLAR PV Limited) is a China-based integrated photovoltaic manufacturer with six production bases across China, specializing in N-TOPCon solar cells and modules. The company officially launched its global business in 2022 and has expanded into upstream and downstream PV production, reaching a combined...
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Annual capacity
- 30-40 GW/year
- Employees
- 5000-10000
Catalogue against catalogue
An average over a catalogue describes the range a manufacturer publishes, not the module you would buy. A brand with two flagship panels and eighty older ones averages worse than one that has retired its back catalogue.
What each of them builds
Written summary
QN-SOLAR is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai that officially launched its global PV business in 2022, operating four manufacturing bases across China. By 2024 the company had reported cell capacity of around 20 GW per year and module capacity of around 25 GW per year, placing it in the scale range of established mid-to-large Chinese producers. Its BloombergNEF Tier 1 status has not been independently confirmed in publicly available sources as of 2025. ARTsolar was founded in 2010 in Pinetown, near Durban, and is South Africa's only fully locally owned solar panel manufacturer. Its production line was designed for up to 300 MW per year, though output has run well below that in recent years; co-manufacturing agreements with LONGi Solar and JA Solar are now intended to lift capacity toward 500 MW annually. ARTsolar is not independently rated Tier 1 by BloombergNEF, but its partnerships with Tier 1 cell suppliers provide partial bankability comfort to project lenders. On scale, international distribution, and institutional footprint, QN-SOLAR is substantially larger.
QN-SOLAR's catalog is built around N-type TOPCon technology, with half-cell bifacial modules ranging from roughly 450 W to 660 W, and the company has begun introducing HJT modules aimed at premium efficiency segments. This positions it primarily for utility-scale ground-mount and large commercial rooftop projects. ARTsolar's current lineup centers on monocrystalline PERC cells in formats historically suited to residential and small commercial rooftops, while its JA Solar partnership now enables assembly of higher-power modules in the 550 W to 580 W class, which are increasingly targeted at South Africa's grid-tied and government procurement programs.
For buyers outside sub-Saharan Africa, QN-SOLAR is the more practical choice given its broader wattage range, TOPCon technology, and global reach. For South African buyers - especially those subject to domestic content requirements under REIPPPP or similar programs - ARTsolar's local assembly and SABS certification are tangible advantages that the scale gap cannot easily override. The two brands are not interchangeable: they serve distinct geographies, regulatory environments, and supply chains.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-15
Other brand comparisons
Comparisons are computed from manufacturer datasheets held in the ComparePV database and may not reflect a brand's complete current lineup. Nothing on this page is paid placement.